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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24040612">River and the Doctor</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/timelady_whittaker/pseuds/timelady_whittaker'>timelady_whittaker</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:01:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,848</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24040612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/timelady_whittaker/pseuds/timelady_whittaker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor just said goodbye to her fam, something that broke her hearts, but she knew that it was the right thing to do. At least they weren't hurt, and that's all that mattered. At this point she has lost all hope. She feels as though she will forever be alone in this vast universe, until an old friend shows up. I say "friend", but we all know this woman is so much more than that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>The Doctor/River Song</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Doctor had just said goodbye to her most recent companions, Yaz, Ryan, and Graham. They were all safe, thankfully, and none of them were hurt, or worse. She had loved them like family, and it broke her hearts to let them go. She just couldn’t bear the thought of losing them, so she dropped them off at their homes on Earth. As painful as it was, she knew that it was the right thing to do. At least  they were alive, and that’s what mattered.<br/>
That was always the hardest thing for the Doctor to do, say goodbye. She had said it so many times, and yet, it hurt more every time she said it. She then sat alone in her Tardis on her purple sofa, loathing the quiet lurking in the room. It was strange to have the Tardis empty. It seemed almost dead without Ryan’s jokes, or Graham’s laughter, or Yaz’s natural happiness she brought with her from room to room. She lived for the days she traveled with people, but she knew, deep in her hearts, that those days were soon coming to an end.<br/>
“I’m old,” She said to the Tardis console, “I am so old… and I am dying.” The Tardis beeped happily in response and the Doctor looked up suddenly.<br/>
“Yes, I am.” She retorted, standing up and running her hands through her hair, “Don’t argue. I’ve been running all my life, I need to stop running soon. I can feel it.”<br/>
The Tardis beeped again, this time, the beep ending in a lilt, like a question.<br/>
“The press of time catching up to me. I can feel time coming to get me, old girl. And this time, I don’t think I run from it like I did all those centuries ago. I’m getting slow, and every moment I’m not running, time is always getting closer. Day after day, it’s getting closer.”<br/>
She leaned over the controls and a single tear dropped onto her cheek. Her sad thoughts were interrupted by a loud pounding on the Tardis doors. The Doctor jumped up and stood there a moment before coming to her senses. Before she could run to the locked doors, though, she heard keys jingling outside.<br/>
“Who’s out there?” Her voice cracked as she wiped the tear from her cheek.<br/>
“Sweetie, could you please let me in? My key isn’t working, and the Tardis is sort of angry with me!”<br/>
The Doctor froze and her green eyes widened. She knew that voice. She could recognize that voice anywhere. That voice was the thing she loved most in the whole galaxy. </p><p>That was River Song’s voice. Her wife was outside the Tardis. Her wife, the impossible astronaut, was knocking on the door. Her wife, the woman who shouldn’t be able to see her ever again. Her wife. The Doctor’s wife… Was here.<br/>
“Are you alright? Your voice sounds funny.” The voice said. The Doctor almost smiled before thinking quickly.<br/>
Her thoughts flew around her head, but she didn’t know what to do. The Doctor knew that River couldn’t, shouldn’t, be knocking on her Tardis doors. Some other bloke from her past, yes, but not her’s.<br/>
“Come on, Doctor, I know you’re in there.” River’s voice said, followed by more knocking. The Doctor’s breath was shallow and quick, her hearts were pumping faster than her breath, and her mind was thinking faster than her hearts. Everything seemed to be happening at once, even though she knew it was just one thing she needed to figure out: River standing outside the doors.<br/>
She wanted to open them, with all her being, she wished she could. But she knew better. If she went and met River now, it would affect River’s past. Like River had always said, “My past is your future.” Her head told her that she couldn’t, under any circumstances, interfere with River’s past. But her hearts told her to run to the doors, slam them open, and hug and kiss River, but she knew she couldn’t. She pulled in a shuddering breath and, very painfully, turned away from the doors. The knocking had stopped, and the Doctor suddenly felt utterly broken. Her one chance, which might have been her last, to see River was down the drain. River wouldn’t have recognized her anyways. That’s what hurt her the most. Even if it was possible that River was outside, the woman the Doctor loved wouldn’t have ever seen her face before.<br/>
The Doctor slumped down onto the metal floor and drew another shaky breath before letting it all out. Tears upon tears and sobs filled the room, it was all too much for her. All of the past came rushing back at her, all of her friend’s deaths, all of the people she’d seen die, and her wife. All of those emotions she kept bottled up in a dark corner of her mind came flooding out. She was completely alone on this battlefield. She was The Lonely God. She felt like, no matter how hard she tried, she only brought death and sadness wherever she went. Always sadness. People always died, every time she tried to help, people always died. She couldn’t understand why. She wanted to help. She wanted to save everyone, but every time she tried to, the opposite happened. The Tardis stayed silent, almost watching empathetically, as the Doctor sobbed.<br/>
After a while, she had composed herself. Wiping the tears from her face, she walked over to the doors, assuming that River was gone. Tears looked wrong on the Doctor’s face. They looked like they didn’t belong there where her usually happy, bright smile was. That smile was always there, and everybody had assumed it was permanent, but everyone cries sometimes, even the Doctor.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>here's the song River plays :) -&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGPacKk-vuA&amp;t=7s</p><p>anyways have fun!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She opened the doors slowly, making sure that River was really gone. She looked left and right, then breathed a sigh of relief. As much as she wanted to see River, she had no idea what she'd say to her if they did meet. She thought about what would happen if she did come across River.</p><p>"Hello, person I've never met," The Doctor mumbled to herself, "I'm your husband... Er... Wife, I mean. Pronouns are difficult." She knew she was speaking out loud, but no one was around, thankfully. If there were people around, they'd call the asylum in a snap. The Doctor always sounded crazy when she thought out loud.</p><p>She had just realized that she had forgotten where she landed the Tardis. All the emotion with River knocking on the doors had completely taken over her mind and made what was outside a complete surprise. She didn't have a clue of which planet she was on, but, boy, was this place beautiful.</p><p>It didn't look like anything on Earth, but it looked human-built. Her Tardis was parked in the corner of a fancy building. The room she was in was massive and lined with bronze that surrounded the white and grey marble walls. Large, tall windows let hazy, dark blue light through their velvet curtains. The light coming through was dark enough for it to be the middle of the night, but bright enough to light up the little dust particles and make them seem like bright, floating stars.</p><p>There was a huge staircase led up to who-knows-where, while a carpet on the dark, polished, wooden floor led to other massive rooms. The marble walls were covered in paintings and shelves which held books and other artifacts that looked like they could've been sitting there for a very long time. The building smelled old, but not musty. More like an old smell you can't quite place, but remember smelling before. The room was chilly, but comfortable.</p><p>These were all the first things the Doctor had noticed before she heard music. Piano. Coming from one of the other rooms somewhere. It sounded like it was far away, but close at the same time. It echoed and bounced around the delicate room and danced around the Doctor. It had a calming, but saddening tune and the Doctor couldn't resist finding the person playing.</p><p>She passed one of the windows and looked outside. Stars and planets in the blackness of space smiled at her, and she smiled back. This house was floating around in space. A strange thing to do, she thought. The piano playing sounded so simple, yet so ethereal, and it tugged at the Doctor to come and find its source, so she followed the music and wandered through the halls. The house was gorgeous. All marble walls and wooden floors, it gave off a feeling of calm and contentment, but, like the song that was being played, also sadness and loneliness. Giant chandeliers were hung from the ceiling, small flames cast flickering shadows on the intricate designs on the white tiles. The light made it easy to see, but wasn't bright enough to chase away the shadows in the corners. It was beautifully atmospheric.</p><p>The music got louder as the Doctor rounded a corner, and she knew the performer was in the next room. She started to walk towards the doorway, when a thought occurred to her. What if it's River? She paused for a moment, but then shook her head to herself dismissively. River couldn't play the piano to save her life. She knew this for a fact. She drew in a breath and smiled when she looked around the corner to meet the performer. She almost choked on her own saliva when she saw the person sitting at the piano. She slapped a hand to her mouth to hide her cough, and even then she tried to cough as quiet as she possibly could. There was no way this person was allowed to know she was there.</p><p>Of course it was her. Who else would it have been?The shock of curly, light brown hair was all she needed to see. The Doctor knew it was River sitting there, playing. There was no question. A look of both dread and happiness washed over her face at the same time. The whole conversation of, "Don't go talk to her," and, "Go see your wife," happened again, but, like before, the Doctor chose to stay put and watch.</p><p>River was wearing a beautiful, white, satin dress that looked almost iridescent when she moved. She was facing away from the doorway in which the Doctor was hiding herself in, but the Doctor could see that she had her nails painted a light, shiny red, and she assumed that her lips were colored the same. They usually were. River's hair was pulled up into a ponytail and was just as wild as the last time the Doctor had seen her. Her feet, which were fit into white high heels, which gave her around four extra inches in height, elegantly pushed the petals of the piano on and off. When did you get this good at playing!? The Doctor wanted to yell.</p><p>The song was played effortlessly out of the piano, like it had been done a thousand times before. Frankly, it probably was. River never gave up on something until she got it perfect. The Doctor smiled at this thought and let the sea of memory engulf her as she relieved some of her favorite moments with River.</p><p>Her short trip down memory lane was interrupted by the beautiful end of the song. The happiness she felt oozed off her face and only dread remained. What am I going to do? She thought. She stole another glance around the doorway and saw River, still facing away from her, getting up from the piano. The Doctor shot back around the corner and tried to flatten herself against the wall. She hoped that River couldn't hear her hearts slamming against her ribs as the unmistakable clicking of high heels echoed around the room. They eventually stopped and the Doctor slid down the wall in relief, exhaling as she realized she was holding her breath. Her hearts slowed down and she relaxed. She closed her eyes and sighed. She was safe. River was safe.</p><p>"Who's there?" River's cautious voice bounced around inside the Doctor's head as the clicking of high heels started again. She held her breath again, and heard her heartbeats pounding in her ears. Time seemed to slow down as the Doctor tried to flatten herself even more into the marble wall. River's footsteps grew louder and closer.</p><p>Click...</p><p>Click...</p><p>Click...</p><p>The Doctor's green eyes grew wide with horror as a hand, River's hand, reached around the corner and grabbed the door frame, her red nails shimmering. Never in the Doctor's very long life had she been more afraid of seeing River. She clenched her eyes shut and prepared herself for the worst.</p><p>"Miss Brooke?" Another voice echoed from, presumably, across the room.</p><p>"Yes?" River answered.</p><p>"You have someone here to see you, ma'am." The voice said. He sounded young, maybe even a teenager.</p><p>"I'll be there in a moment." River said curtly. The other pair of footsteps faded away and after a few moments, River's hand drew back and the click of her high heels faded away as well. The Doctor let out her breath and tried to get her hearts to slow.</p><p>That was too close. She thought, putting her hand on her chest. She slid down the wall and chuckled to herself. She had never been so scared of River seeing her. She didn't want to mess up their time streams. Why was she even still here? She should've left when she saw River in the first place.<br/>Brooke, huh? The Doctor smiled to herself, Still making up names, River? River had went by many names in the days she knew the Doctor. Melody Pond, Mels, and of course, River Song (You can see the relationship between all of them.) But never once had she gone by Brooke. It was quite pretty actually, thought the Doctor, fantasizing about how beautiful River's name was, no matter how much she manipulated it. She peeked around the corner, making sure that River was gone, and then scurried off to where the footsteps had faded away to.</p><p>The room was just as elegant as the last. A huge, crystal chandelier in the middle of the bronze-encrusted ceiling, the marble floors and walls lit up by the candlelight, and another massive, grand staircase led up to probably more jaw-dropping architecture. There were two pairs of open doors at the ends of the staircase, and the Doctor ran through one of the two, her feet silent, and her instincts taking over. River could have gone through the other doors, but the Doctor felt that there was something about the door that she went through that screamed that River went through it.</p><p>Sure enough, after running down red-carpeted hallways with smaller chandeliers, the Doctor heard River's voice again. She stopped at a corner and listened. River was in the middle of a sentence and sounded annoyed.</p><p>"-told you I don't want to see her now."</p><p>"I know, miss," The same, young, male voice that called her earlier was there, too, "but she insisted."</p><p>"Tell her to leave, I'm too busy."</p><p>"Playing the piano?" The other voice, the Doctor could tell, regretted those words as soon as he said them. She could almost see the rage in River's face as she spoke, trying to contain her anger.</p><p>"Young man, I advise you to choose your next words... Very carefully." It was that voice that made the Doctor completely melt. How dangerous and angry River sounded made her smile dreamily like a middle-school girl with a crush.</p><p>"Right, please forgive me, miss Brooke. I will inform her right away."</p><p>"That's right." River said. The Doctor heard her smile through her voice as the boy walked away quickly, as if a ghost was chasing him. She heard River chuckle to herself, obviously pleased at how much she had unsettled him. The Doctor flattened herself against the corner again, just in case River would walk her way. The soft, red carpet made it extremely hard to hear River's high heels clicking. Were they clicking at all?</p><p>"I know you're there," River's voice was cold, and it made the Doctor jump, her breath quickening, "so you can just come out here now."</p><p>What now?! The Doctor thought to herself. She couldn't go and show herself, but if she tried to run, River would be sure to catch her anyways. Even in high heels, River was fast. Instead of moving, the Doctor stood still and tried to keep herself from breathing. She knew that River would be able to pick up on even the slightest of noises, and again, she hoped that her heartbeats were only pounding in her head, and not out loud. River's ears were excellent, and would surely hear her if she breathed.</p><p>It was so sickeningly quiet that the Doctor could almost hear the soft footsteps of River's high-heeled shoes. Or was it just the ambiance? It was too quiet to tell. The silence was awful, and the Doctor's lungs were beginning to hurt from holding her breath. Her thoughts flew around her head once more, as she tried to figure out what she was going to do. Not a moment passed before she settled on something. River wouldn't know who I am, the Doctor thought, She won't recognize me. What's the harm?</p><p>She stepped out from the corner and smiled awkwardly. There she was: River. Her wife. Standing right there in front of her. Looking more beautiful than ever. Her eyes were just the same as the last time she saw her. The eyes that couldn't decide for themselves whether they wanted to be grey, brown, or green. Those eyes that lived a thousand adventures with her. Those eyes that once looked at her with so much love. The Doctor wanted to run to River. She wanted to fall into her arms and pull her so close and never let go again. She wanted to kiss her and never stop. But she knew she couldn't. This River didn't have a clue who was standing in front of her. River's loving eyes were filled with confusion and astonishment. Who was this stranger in her hallway?</p><p>"Hello," The Doctor struggled to keep her emotions buried beneath her, "You're Brooke, I heard?"</p><p>"Yes," River said, her brow furrowed, "Carol Brooke, who are you." It didn't seem like a question, more like a demand. And it broke the Doctor's hearts to hear it. It was true, River didn't have a clue to who she was.</p><p>"I'm..." She struggled to think clearly, "I'm the Doctor's companion."</p><p>"Ah, so he still has those?" She smirked.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"So what's your name?"</p><p>"I'm, uh..." She panicked and said the first thing that came to mind, "Bill." She mentally cursed herself for choosing that name. The guilt she felt behind that name was tremendous.</p><p>"Right... Okay, Bill. How in the world did you almost manage to sneak up on me?" River put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"I, um," She was running out of things to say, "I'm just naturally like... that... I guess?" Almost every day the Doctor had been mentally preparing herself for this moment. She had imaginary conversations with herself, she thought about what she would say, she even thought about all the compliments she would give River. But, now that River was here, in front of her, all of the scenarios in her head were clouded and foggy, like something was hiding them from her. She couldn't remember a single one.</p><p>"Where's the Doctor? He should be around here somewhere." River said, looking behind the Doctor.</p><p>"He's back in the Tardis." The Doctor said instinctively, "I told him I was going exploring." She tried her best to sound like one of her companions, but knew she was failing horribly. She rocked back and forth on her heels and gave a bright, flashy smile at River. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.</p><p>"I'm guessing you're from Earth, but nobody there dresses like that." River gestured at the Doctor's clothes and smirked.</p><p>"Hey! These are stylish!" The Doctor looked down at her yellow suspenders and snapped them loudly, "And for your information, I was thinking about adding a bow tie, but decided against it!" River, at these words, was taken aback. Her stormy eyes were suddenly filled with tears. Or was it the glare from the candles? Not a moment passed before she was back to her smug self.</p><p>"You seemed a little sad there for a second," The Doctor said softly, "Are you okay?"</p><p>"Yes, I," River was obviously reliving moments from her past, and not in a happy way, "You just remind me of someone."</p><p>"Who? If you don't mind me asking." She was on the edge of her seat, begging for more information. River stayed silent for a second more and then shook her head.</p><p>"No one important. Walk with me, Bill." She started walking slowly down the hall. The Doctor jumped forward and jogged closer to River's side. Her mind was racing. She could actually see River again! And nothing bad had happened yet! Except for the fact that I seemed to have broken into her building, She thought.</p><p>"So, Carol, was it?" She held her hands behind her back and walked nonchalantly at River's side.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>The quiet they were both facing was really awkward, but the Doctor powered through it.</p><p>"How do you know the Doctor?"</p><p>River hesitated before speaking.</p><p>"We're old friends."</p><p>That was all. On the outside, she just smiled calmly, but on the inside, the Doctor was mentally laughing.</p><p>Really, River? Just friends? Okay then!</p><p>The two walked for a while in silence, the Doctor glancing over at River's stone-cold face every so often. River didn't break her hard stare from the seemingly ever-lasting corridor in front of her.</p><p>"How did you get so good at playing?" The Doctor asked, trying to banter.</p><p>"Practice," River said simply, "Why do you want to know so much about me?" River was always on edge, always paranoid. She was always suspicious of people who wanted to get too personal with her, in case that they weren't who they said they were. The Doctor knew she'd have to keep her real identity hidden and would have to keep on her toes as to not give away the fact that she knew River's personal life.</p><p>"I, uh..." She hesitated and then gasped as River shoved her up against the wall with a knife grazing her neck.</p><p>"Who are you." River said through gritted teeth. The Doctor couldn't answer, she was too stunned and scared for her life. When she didn't say anything, River dug her elbow into the Doctor's neck, causing her breathing to go all ragged.</p><p>"I'll say it again: Who... Are you?" Her expression brimming with hatred.</p><p>"River... Please." The Doctor coughed out, her eyes filling with tears. River pulled back suddenly, like she had been burnt by something. The Doctor clapped her hand over her mouth in surprise. How could I have said that?? She blew her cover.</p><p>"How the hell do you know who I am?" River's eyes were as dangerous as ever, and her hands had suddenly started shaking.</p><p>The Doctor buried her face in her hands as she slid down the wall in shame and muttered curses at herself. The Doctor loved it when River was like this to other people, but, deep down, was absolutely terrified when she was angry with her.</p><p>"Did the Doctor tell you about me?" River asked, her eyes cold and unblinking.</p><p>"Yes, he did." The Doctor coughed as she rubbed her neck.</p><p>River thought about this for a few moments, and paced around the hallway, one hand on her forehead and one on her hip. She seemed to travel down memory lane again, and the Doctor could almost see the wheels in her brain spinning. Suddenly, she spun back around to the Doctor with her eyes blazing.</p><p>"I want to see him."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The look in River’s eyes was something the Doctor had seen before. So many emotions mixed into those grey circles like paint swirling around in a can. Her eyes looked both like a raging storm and a calm sea. Both dangerous and longing. Both cold and warm. Both eager and pessimistic. It was something the Doctor could never figure out. Whether her eyes were on fire or in an icy storm, it looked the same either way, but the energy River possessed when her eyes were like this explained it all.<br/>	In all their years together, the Doctor managed to figure out something. Whenever River was like this, her emotions unreadable, the Doctor would look at her hands. If her hands were clenched tight, she was most definitely angry. If her hands were relaxed, she was content. Now, the Doctor glanced down at her hands and swallowed hard.<br/>	One of her hands was tight around her knife, while the other was digging into her palm with her blood-red nails.</p><p>	As much as she didn’t want to, the Doctor had walked with River back to the Tardis, and they were standing outside the massive blue doors. River knocked on the doors, as she had done so many times before.<br/>	“Doctor?” She said loudly, “I know you’re in there. Let me in!” She pulled on the doors a few times before freezing suddenly.<br/>	“Is this a new paint job?” She asked Bill.<br/>	“Um, yes, I believe.” The Doctor said, trying her hardest to make up a story as quick as she could.<br/>	“I don’t like it.” River said, her frown deepening.<br/>	Well, I do, thank you very much, the Doctor thought with a frown also showing up on her face.<br/>	River pulled on the doors again, this time a little too hard.<br/>	“You might not want to-” The Doctor reached out to River, as the Tardis made some angry beeps and echoes. River turned back around and stared at the Doctor, her eyes squinted.<br/>	“Let me.” The Doctor said, pushing past River, not willing to let the Tardis go through any more pulling. To River’s astonishment, the doors clicked and unlocked at her touch.<br/>	“You must be someone the Doctor trusts greatly, Bill. She won’t open for me, but is more than willing to let you in.”<br/>	The Doctor knew that River would soon put the pieces together if she didn’t get her fake story straight soon.<br/>	“Yes, I am… Very close with he-” She panicked, but managed to turn her mistake around, “Him. I’m really close to him.”<br/>	“Then let’s head inside, shall we?”<br/>	At this, the Doctor stood in front of the doors and held the handles behind her back, “No, I don’t think he’d like that.”<br/>	“Excuse me?”<br/>	“He doesn’t want anyone in.”<br/>	“Well, he’ll be happy to see me, I’m sure.”<br/>	“He said that he’ll make no exceptions.”<br/>	“He’ll make one for me.”<br/>	River pushed through and stepped inside the Tardis, her eyes ready to see a past version of it, but was met with something completely different. </p><p>Her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide as she took it all in. This was not the Tardis she knew. This was so scary and wonderful. This Tardis was so different than the ones she’d seen. The light orange glow coming from the crystals, the strange patterns on the walls, even the beeps and whistles the Tardis made seemed different.<br/>	“This,” She said, staring wildly at the interior, “Isn’t…”<br/>	“What’s wrong?” The Doctor said, still trying to steady her voice and sound as casual as possible.<br/>	“I shouldn’t be here,” River said under her breath, spinning back around and walking quickly out the doors, “I went too far.” <br/>	She ran her hands through her hair and exhaled deeply. The Doctor watched her through the doors with tearful eyes as she paced back and forth outside the Tardis. <br/>	“How far am I?” River asked the Doctor, her eyes watering, too, looking like a sad maniac.<br/>	Several thoughts ran through the Doctor’s head at this moment. Should I answer her truthfully, or should I continue digging this massive hole of lies I’m already stuck in, was one of them. Time seemed to stop as River stared into the Doctor’s brown-green eyes, without hope, without knowledge, without love. The Doctor took a deep breath and prepared for the worst as she made her decision.<br/>	“We’re both a long way from too far, River,” She said, “neither of us should be here.”<br/>	“What are you...?” River’s face was clouded with confusion, then with surprise as the Doctor muttered two, simple words. These two words were so beautiful and short, but conveyed so much more than that. These words had been spoken at the beginning of time and are bound to be spoken at the end, and everything in between. Two, perfect, uncomplicated words. Effortless to say, but washed away River’s confusion like footprints on a beach.</p><p>“Hello, Sweetie.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hope you're doing well :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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